Frequently Asked Questions

Dr. Lester M. Sdorow, author of Psychology, answers questions about social behavior.

1. Evidence shows that group behavior can be both positive and negative. The negative consequences, though, such as the lynch mobs that formed earlier this century and the actions of soldiers during World War II and the Holocaust, are so horrific and extreme. What can we do as individuals or as a society to counteract negative effects of groups?

The first thing we can do is to make ourselves and others aware of the powerful influence of groups on the behavior of their members. Awareness might make individuals more resistant to such influence. A second thing we can do is not to portray group violence in a positive light. And a third thing we can do is to speak out against deplorable group behavior wherever it occurs. Sadly, events in more recent years in countries throughout the world indicate that the tendency of groups to engage in deplorable behavior is still prevalent.

2. How did Stanley Milgram react to his study of obedience later being considered unethical?

As discussed in the chapter in the textbook, Milgram noted that few of the participants were upset at his use of deception. Moreover, he claimed that the importance of his findings made his use of deception ethical because it let him conduct a study that demonstrated that even in everyday life people are willing to harm other people simply because an authority figure orders them to.

3. Although most people try to be helpful, why does even a Good Samaritan law like the one in France, which might have saved Princess Diana, fail to bring out this quality in people (including the photographers who were there when the crash occurred)?

Why any individual in a given situation behaves the way he or she does is impossible to determine. But the principle of the diffusion of responsibility might account for Diana's not receiving immediate help, even though several people came upon the scene of her car accident. Perhaps each person, being in the presence of others, felt less responsible for helping her.

4. What do you think we should do as a society to reduce the level of violence?

Perhaps the most important thing to do is not to celebrate violence as much as we do in our movies, television shows, and sport competitions. Through social learning, children who grow up having watched thousands of hours of televised violence may become insensitive to it and believe that violence is rewarding.